Just because the Summer season is coming to an end, it doesn’t mean things will slow down when it comes to all the metal shows the OC is used to. To the contrary, the Fall season brings with it a plethora of shows, making sure the region will be saturated with metal concerts, from club gigs to huge festivals. From death metal and thrash, to industrial and sludge, to melodic and female-fronted, we now present the OC’s best metal shows in September.
September 8
Decapitated, Thy Art Is Murder, Fallujah, Ghost Bath
The Observatory
In 2007, when his younger brother and drummer ‘Vitek’ was tragically killed in an automobile accident, Decapitated guitarist/vocalist ‘Vogg’ disbanded the Polish death metal group for a period of time to grieve. But in 2011, Decapitated was given new life, and since then, the band has been a force to be reckoned with in death metal. With a new critically acclaimed album out entitled, Anticult, Decapitated are raging on a world wide campaign of sonic death metal destruction. Blast beats monstrous guttural vocals and chaotic riffs only make up a fraction of this powerful, dark and insanely technical death metal band. Opening the show is Austrailian death metal core shredders, Thy Art is Murder and North Dakota’s mysterious experimental metal band Ghost Bath.
September 14, 2017
Sacred Reich, Hirax, Byzantine, Yidhra
The Observatory
Taking things back to the glorious old school days of thrash ( aka the mid-’80s), one of the forgotten bands among the mainstream thrash staples, Arizona’s Sacred Reich was and still is a raging speed metal unit that once got notoriety for having a short clip of the video for the song’Surf Nicaragua’ in the 1992 film Encino Man. But the band is back with a vengeance after more than three decades to show the youngsters how thrash metal is done. Opening the show is LA-based melodic sludge metal band Yhidra, new school groove metalers Byzantine, and local heroes, OG thrashers Hirax.
September 16
Epica, Lacuna Coil, Insomnium
The Observatory
Get ready for a night of epic European metal with this lineup, featuring symphonic metal band Epica, Italian dark melodic rockers Lacuna Coil and Insomnium. Expect tons of shiny leather, long blonde hair and metal chics galore. Expect there to be tons of headbangers, but expect there to be less nuances of aggression and anger, and more of romanticism, beauty and the darkness that metal music represents. If you love European heavy metal, this is a show not to miss.
Sep 23
Metal Alliance Tour
The Glasshouse
This year’s edition of the annual Metal Alliance Tour finds thrash meeting sludge with NJ based old school speed metal band Overkill co-headlining alongside Louisiana doom/sludge purveyors Crowbar who also incorporate hardcore into the mix. Also appearing on the tour are neo-thrashers Havok, along with the up and coming bands Black Fast and Invidia. This one will rock, and if anything the diversity of the bands performing is worth checking out if you are a true heavy music fan.
September 28
Chelsea Wolfe
The Observatory
Known for her passion for all things dark and brooding, Chelsea Wolfe might be considered a heavy metal version of Tori Amos, but that would be over simplifying this artists beautiful and haunting music that also mixes in industrial, neofolk, and pop overtones. Be sure to arrive for openers, Youth Code, a very aggressive duo who create an electronic and charged sonic industrial metal combo that could cause ravers to slam dance.
September 29
Exmortus
Dipiazzas
One of metal’s hardest working up and coming bands, Whiter based modern power metal band Exmortus bring their show to Long Beach for a performance at DiPiazzas. With a blend of heavy metal that utilizes power metal, and the sounds of thrash, the classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal and more the band has been slaying its foes with its lethal dose of metal music since 2002, and have toured the world spreading the music to the masses. Be sure to expect an epic, intimate show at Di Piazzas, as the band showcase their influences, which include everyone from Saxon to Slayer.
Alex Distefano is an established freelance writer and music blogger from the Los Angeles area. With over a dozen years under his belt as a published Journalist, he covers the worlds of heavy metal music, punk rock, current events, cannabis culture, comedy, radio, food, tattoos, the paranormal, and ‘conspiracy theories.’ He graduated from California State University Long Beach in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in both Journalism and Ancient History. Aside from his professional writing endeavors, Distefano works as an Educator, and delivery/rideshare driver.